Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-06-03

| strain which the greatest aud most fOrmld-
| able rebellion ever known TO history put
| upon our institutions has demonstrated
! the fact that the " bubble of republican
ISM" as they were pleased to call it, is not
the weak and childish thing they supposed
! it to be that 1t is not Il mere rope of sand''
! ready TO break and crumble at the slighG-
| est touch, but n creation from the solid
| strata of human experience and destined
| to become as secure and enduring as the
eternal hills that girt this continent
The war, instead of destroying or even
weakening our republican form of gov
eminent made it stronger. Though our
growth and prosperity as "A nation has
been unprecedented from the very first,
one great danger has ever threatened us ;
and that was the condition OF seryitude
that fastened itself upon us even before
the formation of the government. Our
fathers early saw the evil tendencies of
slavery and the slave trade, and
prophesised evil to the land in conse-
quence of it unless speedily put away.
IA 100 years ago." says Bancroft, our
great historian, "a West Jersey Quaker
wrote This trade of importing slaves is
dark gloominess hanging over the land ;
the consequences will he grevous TO pos
terity.'" serious view of this subject,
said Patrick Henry in 1913, gives II
gloomy prospect to future times" In the
same year George Mason wrote to the
Legislature of Virginia: 1.-The laws of an
impartial providence may aveuge our in
| justice upon our prosperity" In Virginia
and in the continental Congress, Jefferson
branded the slave trade as piracy and he
| fixed in the Declaration of Independence
| as the corner StOue of the American gov.
eminent. IAN men are created equal,
with an inalienable right of liberty"
Thus we see that though this evil exist
ed in most of the colonies at the time OF
the revolution, it was deemed a calamity
and the fathers of the republic hoped it
might die out under their new political
system. But instead of this it grew with
our growth and strengthened with oul
strength until in this land of boosted free
! dom, 100000 of human beings found
themselves in abject bondage, bowling
! down to their hard and uurequitted toll
and being bought and sold like
cattle in the market
And now, at last, the panger so long
threatened burst upon the nation in I
| fearful storm of fierce and bloody war
The South, fearing that the strong anC
ever increasing sentiment prevailing
throughout the North and Northwes
against this accused institution might
work its overthrow, sprang to arms anC
sought by the sword to establish for ltsel
separate and independent government
| whose chief corner stone should be the
system of human bondage But through
the patriotism and bravery of our either
| SOluleTy, anu ny une nelp OIL Almighty bOu
| the wicked designs OF the Southern Lead
ers were frustrated, and the sword which
was intended by them to destroy free gov
| eminent, was made to cut the bond
which held so many millions in crue
| Servltudc, and enabled our government
to proclaim liberty throughout all tn
land to all the inhabitants thereof Thu
we came forth from the terrible struggl,
with our internal foes regeuerated PEG
pie, a redeemed nation. And now shall
our
Proud flag kiss the heavens,
With never a blot or stain;
Ger bleeding human chattelS,
Never TO float again :"
We see, therefore, that one grand resul
of the war is new era for republicanisn
1t has been we'll said that the disturbance
IN the country grew not out of anythin
republican, but out of slavery, and tn
expulsion of this domestic anomaly open
to the renovated nation career OF III
thought of dignity and glory. Hence
forth our country has n moral unity Il
The land OF free labor. The party 70
slavery and the party against slavery AZ
no more-they are merged i'll the part
of union and freedom. True, the tw
great political organizations of the cOur
try still maintain a separate and vlgorou
existence and yet there is hardly a ma
to be found in either of these parties, a
I he North or South, who would now de
clare himself in favor of Il return to tn
old system of slavery. Principles ar
taking root in the minds and hearts of tn
people at the South, which, a few year
ago we should have thought impossible
For example, in the report of the plat
form of a great political party in Missis
|, sipp we find the enunciatlon of the TO
. lowing principles, namely: The Unto
first, last and forever. Freedom of speec
and of the press. Universal suffrage an
an u oh haI
benefits to be extended to every child il
the State without distinction of race o
color" Thus the leaven of true republ
canism is working and is destined to pre-
duce wondrous results. Indeed, in mos
of the Southern States the suffrage is II
ready equalized by law; colored citizen
are declared eligible to office; and colore
children are entitled to free education
These are certainly mighty strides in tn
right direction and may we not hop
that the time is not distant when old pre-,
udices and hates shall entirely disappea
, and all the people of every part of thi
great land come to labor harmOniousl
together for the building up and firm e,
. tablishment of our free institutions. 1t
he highest glory of the dead heroes who's
, memories we this day honor, and of tn
: living heroes who are still with us to jo
in this memorial celebration, that by thei
patriotism and deeds of valor on many
of those principles and institution
which were opposed to the genius c
our free government and opened the wa
, to the greater prosperity and sure
stability OF this great republic which W
now enjoy. Our political system has bee
, indicated by overwhelming success
against all enemies, domestic as we'll a
foreign the great doctrines of that system
! blaze out upon the armament of tn
+ world like the orbs of heaven after tn
clouds of an angry storm and their ligh
is sweet and assuring. Peace has com
to us, and may we not hope that it wi
abide forever? The two sections of tn
country have become reunited and tn
bonds which bind them together al
stronger than ever before in our histor,
+ We are again one people, inhabiting on
f vast and glorious territory, the most mas
f nilicent heritage of any nation on eartl
and the voices of nature mlngle with tn
| voices of our people every where in chan
q ing the notes of perpetual peace. Tn
/ birds of passage wing their way each yea
: from North TO South and from South [
r North and MARBLE in the quiet mornin
their peaceful notes. Our majestic river
: kiss peacefully each sister State 4
they NOW gently by on their calm mr.,